Raphael - Madonna of the goldfinch

• Title: Madonna of the goldfinch (Madonna del cardellino)
• Artist: Raphael (1483-1520)
• Date: 1506
• Medium: Oil on wood panel
• Dimensions: 107 × 77 cm

In “Madonna of the Goldfinch”, Raphael applies the codes he created to generate harmony, peacefulness and what is/has been considered a summum of beauty. He adds here the feeling of maternal love.

Raphael arranges the three figures (Mary, Jesus and John the Baptist) to form an almost regular triangle in a symbol of the Holy Trinity. Mary is young and beautiful in a pure way accentuated by the colors of her clothes- red for the passion of Christ and blue for the Church. Her actions are maternal with one of her hands around John holding him, her soft eyes are on him and Jesus’ foot on hers as children can do.